Essex Junction approves Rec Technologies contract for recreation management: $15,000 startup, $50,000 annual

Recreation staff told the council they plan to replace the current recreation management software after repeated operational problems. Mark (recreation staff) said the present vendor, Kaizen, handled registration but failed to meet organizational expectations for financial reporting, childcare subsidy tracking and ticketing. Staff reported spending roughly 10 hours per week on manual workarounds.

"From a cost standpoint, the proposed system that we're looking at is $50,000 annually," Mark said. He added Rec Technologies would charge a $15,000 one‑time startup and training fee; those costs would be paid from the program fund and most recurring costs would be passed to users by a 1% service fee. The current system costs the program about $30,000 and fees have been passed to users.

Staff said the current vendor agreed to extend service through the end of August to allow a smooth transition to the new system, and the onboarding for the new provider is expected to take four to six months with an anticipated go‑live around Sept. 1. The council authorized the city manager to enter into an agreement with Rec Technologies that includes the stated startup and annual fees; the motion passed unanimously.

Clarifying details: Staff said they had interviewed and met with several companies before selecting the recommended provider, and that some elements required for childcare subsidy processing make vendor selection challenging. The recommended provider was already used by other similar municipalities and offered in‑person onboarding. Staff said they had not pursued financial recovery from the current vendor and that the contract extension is being reviewed by the city attorney.

What's next: Staff will finalize the contract subject to city‑attorney review and implement the transition plan so the new system can launch on or about Sept. 1, 2026.